Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-06
THE GAS TRUSTEES.
Who Ought to Represent the Minority on
the Board

the Board.
To The Editor Of the Register.
SR:-The ROR-pdrtisdn ~ manner in
which the several Boards OF our city have
been filed by Council has been the pride
and boast of the average Republican and q
cause for deep disgust to the Democratic
citizen. One boosted OF it because it gave
him an opportunity to try to persuade
himself that his party had quit lying and
was irving to be fair; the other deSrised il
because he said it wes used 10 reward
weak Democrats, who had betrayed their
party by voting in Council for measures
which were designed to benefit the Repub.
lican party. An example of this was the
passage of the great comparison ~ Police
and Fire Board Ordinance, by the last
Council, by the aid Of four Democratic ~
members. See the result. One OF these
four was placed on the Board as one Of the
tlro Democrats required by the ordinance
TO be selected. At the last city election
be was detected distributing Republican
tickets among his employees. A second
one was given a salaried Office under the
Board, and he was actively engaged
at the last election in working against
nominees Of the Democratic party. A
third one has been granted valuable
franchises by this Council, which
will entail thousands Of dollars for re-
pairs, in the city. He too was actively en-.
gagged in working against the nominees oil
his party at the last election. At the next
meeting of Council a Board of Gas Trus-
tees is 10 be elected and the fourth sup
porter of the =. and F. ordinance has been
selected by the Republicans to represent
the Democracy on it. He not only worked
against the party at the last election,
but was a candidate on the Republican
ticket.
Is this proposed action of the Republi-
cans fair? If the minority is to be given
one of the trustees, why should not the
choice of representative be given to 1t?
Why is a person selected who has cut loose
from the Democracy and Joined the enemy?
In the last Council did not the Republicans
insist on naming their man for Gas Trus-
tee, and was not this conceded to them.
First, DR.. Logan wa presented 6y them as
the minority representative, and when he
resigned Mr.. Lewis was named by them.
IL Is wv muCn W SApCSO bh"' WIZ SNN
Gil, or rather the Republican majority IN
it, will show any fair play in this matter.
But it is not too much to demand that the
Democrats in Council set their faces against
the carrying out Of this scheme. Sell re-
spect demands that they insist on naming
the man they wish to represent their
party on the Board, and if the Repub-
licans refuse to elect him, their
sham of fair play will be exposed. A pro-
test against such a violation Of the spirit
of the law, creating the boards, should be
drawn up and signed by every Democrat
in Council, and should be spread on the
minutes, there to remain for future refer
enCe.
As our representatives act in this mat
ter, so will their reward be. Several OF
them are known to be aspirants for other
offices in the future, and they certainly
will not expect Democrats 10 aid them in
their efforts if they at this time assist Re-
publicans in rewarding treason to the
Democracy. We do not know if we speak
for a majority of the party, but we do
speak for enough to defeat any man who
betrays his trust now and comes up for
office in the time to come.
MANY DEMOCRATS.